First Test: 2007 Mercedes-Benz S550

The Wizard Of Aaahhs: In its bid to out-wow BMW, Mercedes introduces a car that can drive without one key ingredient: your foot

Like BMW and Audi, Mercedes has made the move to a computer mouse-like controller on the center console. The S550's COMAND system may well be the best of the lot: Twisting the controller and following the menus on the eight-inch color display, we were actually able to change the radio station without raising our pulse. A handy "back" button on the console returns you to the previous menu; Mercedes has also thoughtfully included a "favorites" button the driver can program to control nearly anything he desires--say, getting the navigator to repeat its last instructions. A particularly nice touch is the comfy palm rest that sits above the controller; it flips open to reveal a telephone keypad. Better yet, most features, such as the dual-zone automatic climate control and the audio system, can be controlled via hard buttons on the dash or on the steering wheel. If you absolutely refuse to lift a finger, many of the systems are also voice-activated.

Some S550 buyers may have trouble simply figuring out which gizmo to play with next. Fourteen-way power front seats are standard (power rear seats are optional); the driver's control will also operate the passenger seat (handy for whirring your briefcase into reach). The audio system is a bodacious 14-speaker, 600-watt harmon/ kardon surround-sound job with DVD Audio capability and a built-in flashcard slot for transferring music from your PC (an iPod adapter will be available later in the year). The nav system runs off a 20-gig hard drive that covers the entire U.S. and offers faster access than DVD-based systems. Options include Sirius Satellite Radio, a Panorama sunroof with glass front and back (only the front roof opens), heated and active-ventilated seats, and power-side window blinds. Also available are Drive Dynamic front seats with massage. When activated, the dynamic side bolsters automatically clamp against you as cornering forces build; they're remarkably effective at adding just enough support to keep you sitting comfortably upright.

Mercedes is particularly proud of its new optional Night View Assist. Unlike passive thermal-imaging systems (such as Cadillac's Night Vision) that pick up heat in the road ahead, Night View Assist incorporates two active infrared headlamps that project beams invisible to the eye; these are seen by a headliner-mounted camera that delivers the image to an eight-inch display in front of the driver (when Night View is activated, the display includes a sliding "tape" speedometer; when it's off, the entire display is a large analog dial). The image is bright and sharp, and for a while Night View is fun to play with. (Forget about driving, Terminator-like, with headlights off. We tried it. The system only works with headlights on. Internet hack coming soon?) Alas, it's impossible to drive looking simply at the two-dimensional Night View display. And because the screen isn't in your direct field of view, it's difficult to monitor it while driving. The image from Cadillac's Night Vision isn't nearly as clear, but because it's a head-up display, upcoming objects--say, a deer in the road--blob directly into view. Based on a couple of curious looks from CHP troopers, we wouldn't be surprised if some S550 owners even have to explain to police that they're not actually driving while watching TV.

With its new 32-valve, 5.5-liter V-8 delivering 382 horsepower and mated to M-B's fabulous seven-speed automatic, the S550 ripped to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds, a couple of ticks slower than the factory claim but still a full second quicker than the last S500 we've tested. Nobody's going to want for power in this Benz (though a twin-turbo V-12 S600 and AMG versions are due).